Solar Storm Activity April 4, 2026

From Connie Howell: While we didn’t have any more Geomagnetic Storms today, Solar Activity is still uncomfortable thanks to Solar Flares, Solar Wind Speed and Electron Saturation.
The Sun Spot we’ve been tracking is utterly unphased now that it’s entered the Sun-Earth Magnetic Line and in fact is producing more M Class Solar Flares, so it looks like it’ll continue to do this for about 7 days. We need to be prepared for it tossing some additional CMEs at Earth and causing more Geomagnetic Storms when those arrive.
NOAA’s still offering a 15% chance of HP = 5 (G1) Geomagnetic Storms in middle U.S., and a 40% chance of HP = 6 (G2) Geomagnetic Storms in the northern U.S. states due to the current CH HSS + CME combo, but very little in their forecasts indicate these levels are likely to be reached anytime over the next 3 days.
Solar Wind Speeds are slowly dropping as the CME and CH HSS battle it out in our magnetosphere. Today we mainly had speeds in the 600 km/sec range and it looks like they’ll drop into the 500 km/sec range tomorrow.
Electron Saturation is still hanging out above its Alert Threshold, offering very little time below that line overnight. It’ll likely keep doing this for the next 3 days, but should drop below the Alert Threshold in 4 days.
Solar Flare Conditions
M7.6 Solar Flare 4/3 @ 8.17p CDT from Sun Spot 4409
M1.7 Solar Flare 4/4 @ 2.58a CDT from Sun Spot 4409
M1.3 Solar Flare @ 7.11a CDT from Sun Spot 4409
M Class Solar Flare Watch
Geomagnetic Conditions
HP = 2.6 Average
All Geomagnetic Storm Watches Expired
Solar Wind Conditions
Solar Wind Density < 3.0/cm3 All Day
Solar Wind Speed ~650 km/sec 4/4 @ 7.00p CDT, Variable between 523-676 km/sec beginning 4/3 @ 11.54p CDT, Variable between 548-626 km/sec beginning 4/4 @ 10.14a CDT, ~580 km/sec beginning 4.12p CDT and continuing to 6.30p CDT Post
Solar Wind Speed >500 km/sec Warning and Watch
Electron and Proton Saturation Conditions
Electron Saturation ~/>1K pfu beginning 4/3 @ 3.20a CDT and continuing to 4/4 @ 6.30 p CDT Post
Proton Saturation Normal
Electron Saturation >1K pfu Warning